The speech I wou;d have given would be:

This is not supposed to be the SAFE country or the HEALTHY country or the least likely to die in country. If you want these things, there are over a hundred different countries to choose from. Move to one of THEM! We're the FREE country, meaning MINIMUM DO'S AND DON'Ts. Thrre will be no such thing as lockdowns or mandates here.

If that approach had gotten majority opposition and we got the lockdowns anyway, my next move would be to sponsor a constitutional convention to formally disband the United States and declare a People's RepubliK. Maybe THAT would wake everybody up.